BRITISH spies have been warned they are being targeted by Russian agents working in the UK, a leaked memo has revealed.

Spies for the Russian president Vladimir Putin could be targeting British agents

Bosses of the UK's secret services believe MI6 staff and their families are at risk of blackmail as agents working for Russian President Vladimir Putin seek new ways to access highly-classified information.

The memo, seen by the Daily Star Sunday, suggests Russian spies are attempting to turn members of the Secret Intelligence Service into double agents.

It adds that retired members of MI6 could also be on Mr Putin’s hit-list, describing British agents as “high priority targets”.

The problem is considered to pose such a real and present threat to UK security that intelligence service bosses have urged staff to call an emergency number any time they are approached by foreign agents.

MI6, the home of fictional secret service agent James Bond, is the UK’s foreign intelligence service, and employs more than 3,000 people.

The memo says: “The Russian services continue to be very active and to approach serving and former members of HM Government.

“It is clear the Russian services regard both current and former retired members of the Service as high priority targets.“The Russian services have a tradition of using pressure in their operations.

“This may be used against both former members of staff and their close relations.

Mr Putin held talks in Armenia with the French President Francois Hollande on Friday

It is clear the Russian services regard both current and former retired members of the Service as high priority targets

Leaked memo

It adds: “If any former retired members of staff are approached by Russian services they should acknowledge only that they used to work for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

“They should politely refuse the approach and make it clear they will report the incident to FCO security department at the earliest opportunity.”

There are fears that the Russians could use a range of tricks to entice British agents, including offering cash or setting up a ‘honeytrap’, where a female spy gathers information after seducing her target.

It comes as Britain’s domestic security service, MI5, claims there are now more Russian agents working in the UK than at any time since the Cold War.

Spy chiefs estimate around 80 spies working for Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR RF, are now based in the UK.

An intelligence source told the Daily Star Sunday: “The threat from Russia is increasing almost every day.

“We have Russian jets, subs and ships probing our borders.

“Now their spies are beginning to target our agents. We are back in the bad old days of the Cold War.”

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The Secret Intelligence Service is based on the River Thames in Vauxhall, London

The worrying development follows more posturing by Mr Putin over Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The ex-KGB man has reportedly boasted that the military invasion of the Black Sea peninsula righted a “historical injustice” and said he had no regrets over the conflict.

Speaking in a new documentary to mark 15 years in power, Mr Putin said: "It's not because Crimea has a strategic importance in the Black Sea region.

"It's because this has elements of historical justice.

"I believe we did the right thing and I don't regret anything”

The annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014 provoked the worst crisis between the West and Russia since the end of the Cold War.

In a sign of rising hostility between London and Moscow, RAF jets were scrambled last week after Russian military planes were spotted near UK airspace - the latest in a series of similar incidents.

The security breach happened just hours after Russian warships passed through the English Channel.

HMS Argyll was deployed to monitor the Russian vessels with reports suggesting they were due to carry out military exercises in the North Atlantic.